Dame Ayuzawa Misaki
by animezealot196
Summary: The oldest daughter of a single mother. Born in a poor family with no prospects whatsoever. They could barely afford their food and their home, much less her training. But she was determined. They did not need men in the house to make do. They would make do just fine without them. And they did.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is for Misa-chan's birthday week! Where I will try to appreciate her as much as I can! I am late but I'm here! Shoutout to SakKim98 for asking me to write a medieval AU although this is not exactly what they had in mind. This is basically a few short chapters exploring Misaki's strengths._**

 _ **Enjoy**!_

 _ **RxR**!_

 _..._

 _She doubts herself….._

"Hah!" the man gasped as he thrust his sword at her stomach; his face scrunched with focus and energy. He groaned when his sword was parried before it met its target and another 'clang!" resounded through the castle's training room.

She pushed his sword away, spinning around and landing the tip of her blade against his throat. He arched his neck; looking at her with some amount of trepidation in his brown eyes. The locked eyes for a full second before the man let go; and his weapon clanked on the floor with an air of finality.

The woman sighed and stepped away putting her own sword aside and wiping some sweat off of her brow. She placed a hand on her hip and smiled at him.

"Your reflexes are getting better Shin." she nodded, "The King will be impressed."

The brown-haired man sighed and returned her smile, tilting her head toward her.

"It's still not enough to beat you, though…" he said, his smile widening into a grin.

MIsaki's smile froze for a second before she gave him a nonchalant grimace; shrugging slightly; and turned away. Compliments like these had been thrown around a lot ever since she had become the Head of the palace guard; and she was still in the process of finding out a proper response. Mostly; she would change the subject, or ignore them. Ignoring made her feel the worst, of course. She did not want to ignore anybody.

And not her childhood friend of all people.

She heard him chuckle as she slipped her sword back into its sheath; which hung from the belt at her uniform's waist.

"At times I think that you've become more bold...you know like the soldiers we read about…..all stone-faced and emotionless. Dignified people who do not panic at all…." Shintani started ranting. Misaki looked at him; feeling her heart thump in anticipation. Was he going to tell her that she was not dignified and calm enough to be the Head?

Shintani rubbed his face, looking at some obscure point in the room. He took a deep breathe; apparently struggling to find the right words.

"...You've always been cool, Misa-chan. I have known it ever since I met you." He smiled and looked at her; his gaze loving but sheepish. "..But I think you're cool as you are….I'd be so much more uncomfortable if you became someone with no emotions….I'm not too bright anyway, so I barely can read people….but simply watching you being….you know….natural, it makes me feel at ease."

He looked directly at her; his warm brown eyes sparkling as they usually did when he was talking to the people he loved. Misaki felt like a great weight was removed from her shoulders. She grinned at him; fully and appreciatively, trying to tell all that his words had done for her.

He shook his head and pointed to her.

"See? Just like that. I'm not an expert….but I think other people would trust you better this way too."

She frowned for a moment. Would they? Would they trust her better if she showed her emotions openly? Would they depend on her? It was important that they depended on her. She was the one responsible. Shintani aside, would the other guards see her being silly, open and embarrassed; and then take her seriously?

She gulped and bit her lip. When she looked back her childhood friend his face was concerned; but also resigned, as if he was not entirely sure of his words either.

"I guess….It won't be that easy, will it?" he added, scratching his head.

Misaki looked away from him, despair washing over her again.

"BUT!..." he continued in a stronger voice, "I know I'm right. I haven't figured out exactly how…..but I know Misa-chan is better off just being herself….that would be the best she would be."

He was standing with his hands on his hips, his gaze determined. He nodded at her to emphasize his point.

Misaki giggled.

"Okay…...your point is quite obscure but I understand it." she finally said. Shintani beamed. "I'll have to consider other things of course…..this position is something I've worked very hard for….." her tone had turned somber.

Shintani mirrored her expression and began nodding again.

"Of course….." he agreed, and then added with a smile, "...Dame."

MIsaki acknowledged the use of her new title with a mature smile. Her problems had not been solved yet; but her friend had given her hope, and the thought of even one person just supporting her made Misaki feel confident. Most people would say that betrayal was common in the kingdom; and that such a naive Knight should not be allowed to lead at all; but Misaki felt it was better to trust and be betrayed, rather than to never trust at all, and remain in confusion. Slipping back her sword from its sheath, she pointed it towards Shintani.

"Another round?" she asked, her amber eyes already glowing with excitement.

Shintani gave a loud sigh but readied his weapon, and the training room was filled with the cacophony of blades again.


	2. Chapter 2

_She is dignified….._

Dame Ayuzawa Misaki strolled through the marble corridors of the castle, her eyes naturally darting around the corners, nodding to the guards that stood at their posts, checking for any inconsistencies, and for any slackers who had not appeared on guard duty. This was routine to her, after two years of being the Head. The guards were still mostly men; and had once sneered at being lead by a lady; but now had mostly been forced to conform in front of Misaki's talent and willpower.

And also; of course, because the King had said so.

Her lips twitched, thinking of how she had been announced as the best candidate among the entirety of the Kingdom's best warriors. Most of them were male of course; and their expressions when Misaki was being knighted had been exquisite to say the least. The intense disbelief however, which was expressed by anyone and everyone who heard about the news, only made to anger her.

Also, that the only thing keeping from the guards from protesting against her was the King's word. And perhaps only the King's word.

If she had been born a man; her guards would have advocated for her, would have respected her for her skill; and no one would have taken the complaints as seriously as they did now, because everybody would have genuinely judged and trusted her abilities.

Misaki's fingers twitched at her sides. She wondered how long it would be before she made a mistake, offended the King, and be disposed of; putting down in history that she was the first ever female Dame, and also the first ever that could not keep her office for long.

She would just be another example to be condemned.

Her hands clenched into fists. She stopped in her tracks as she rounded a corner, knowing that this was an empty corridor; she was going to vent out her frustrations by punching the bare stone wall; when she was forced to stop in her tracks by an appalling sight.

"NO...you _can't_ take that! Leave it alone!"

"Just let me take a peek…..what's wrong with that?!"

"..You guys are idiots."

Three guards were standing in the corridor …..well two of them were almost halfway into the floor; in the midst of a struggle. A guard with blonde, spiky hair seemed to be wrestling something from his blue-haired colleague, although having little success. Next to them; his hands casually resting in his pockets, was a dark-skinned guard with his hair tied in a ponytail. He twirled a cigar in his mouth, looking genuinely bored.

Misaki's eyebrow twitched.

They were supposed to be on duty.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you guys anything….." the blue-haired man wailed, his arms gripping something tightly to his chest.

"Don't be like that….we are your friends!" the blonde retaliated, trying to pry his friends' fingers away.

The dark-haired man sighed and removed his cigar.

"I'm serious you guys….if you make so much noise, someone might come."

"Absolutely." Misaki announced.

The three of them whipped around, hands instinctively going to their waists, fear and alarm imminent in their eyes. When they saw Misaki, her arms folded across her chest and a burning glare in her eyes; the fear and alarm deepened. As suddenly as an extended rubber-band being released, the three snapped into position, standing side by side; their heads high and their right fists placed against their chests. Misaki pursed her lips; almost impressed by their quickness.

"What are you three doing down here? You're supposed to be on duty!"

They remained silent, trying to catch each other's eye.

Misaki gave a disdainful grunt.

"If you do not answer me….I will just assume that you were slacking." She tilted her head. "I believe you would then have no problems with stable cleaning for the entire of next week?"

The effect of her words was immediate.

"NO! No….I mean….Dame!...Uh..." the blonde man cleared his throat and looked up to his ceiling, apparently trying to think of a suitable excuse; but not having much success.

"Please forgive us!" The blue-haired guard cried, falling down on his knees and raising both hands to her in entreaty. Misaki resisted the urge to reprimand him; a guard should always remain dignified, no matter what the situation. If any of these buffoons ended up being captured by the enemy, they would become huge liabilities.

"Um...Dame" the third guard's deep voice caught Misaki's attention. He was still standing straight, his cigar nowhere to be seen, with a somber look on his face.

Maybe there was someone with a little competence here after all.

"...We thought there was a disturbance here so we came to investigate." he finished, looking directly in her eyes.

Misaki raised an eyebrow, wondering if he could actually lie with such a straight face.

"Really…? What kind of disturbance?" she asked, giving him her full attention.

He gulped, straightening his collar.

"We thought we heard the sound of a breaking window…?"

Misaki raised her eyebrow higher.

"You _thought_?-"

"-Um...I mean...We _heard_ the sound of a breaking window!"

"Oh really…? And where is this shattered window?"

The man paused, his eyes sliding towards his blue-haired friend, who had suddenly stiffened in his position on the floor. Misaki remained calm, her tone still curt.

"Well….? Do not keep me waiting."

The men exchanged glances again, when the initial guard spoke up, something like resignation in his amber-colored eyes.

"We could not find the source of the noise…..I'm afraid it might have been just our imagination..."

His eyes did not meet hers when he spoke.

Definitely a lie.

"Really, now…? Is that why you three had deemed it important to stay here and _frolic_ in this corridor!?"

Misaki's voice was rising. It was hard to contain her temper as it was; as she had always trained herself to be bold and vicious; and to speak loudly; because the world she had grew up in had no sympathy for weak mumbles. But the complete idiocy of her own subordinates was making her angrier by the second.

The men flinched at her tone, but did not seem to have been swayed.

"Yes-Yes Dame…." the blond man finished, the corner of his eyes moving towards his blue-haired friend too.

She caught his gaze and huffed. Enough was enough.

Stalking towards the cowering guard, she grabbed his collar and pulled him to his feet. The act must have been so sudden that he could barely resist; much less keep the thing he had been hiding so desperately, from scattering away on the floor. His arms flailed towards his possessions, but Misaki kept him at bay.

"What is this?" she asked picking up a small leather-bound notebook and an opened letter from the ground. A broken string of cotton dangled from it, wrapped around the parchment. Her hand released the guard, who slipped back onto his knees, his face noticeably paler.

"Um...Nothing!" the blond ventured, although his expression betrayed fear.

Misaki sighed, feeling an ache building up in her head. She waved the items in front of them and put her hand on her hip.

"This is your last chance. Tell me what happened _truthfully_ , and I will not have to inspect these myself."

The guards exchanged glances, but then the dark-skinned one, who seemed the most sensible; spoke forth. The relaxation on his face seemed to relay honesty; but Misaki would not trust him completely until he had given her a believable answer.

"Dame...that letter….It came from the broken window." Misaki's eyes flashed, and the man flinched; pausing to rub his face, "I mean, it was at Ikkun's...I mean Sarashina's bedside this morning. Someone had thrown a letter through his window during the night. We woke up from the crash but….there was no one to be found outside."

He finished, his brow scrunched with regret, but his eyes twinkling with something close to content.

Misaki placed a hand on her chin.

"And you did not deem to alert the others about this disturbance?"

The guard grimaced, looking away and twiddling his thumbs. The lightest blush was on his dark cheeks.

"Well it seemed quite like a prank pulled by one of the stable lads, Dame. Given the…." he stared at the letter in Misaki's hand. "... _contents_ of the letter…."

Frowning; Misaki pulled the letter out from the open envelope, and nobody seemed to be stopping her. As her eyes studied the words, Misaki's eyes widened; unbidden heat rushing towards her cheeks as soon as she finished. She wrenched the words out of her sight; using immense self control to not rip the letter apart immediately.

She waited for her body to calm down, feeling scandalized and embarrassed and suspicious all at the same time.

"I-I see…" she cleared her that, raising her head again. "I'll be confiscating this letter anyway, in case it is not just a gimmick. And what about this?" she asked holding up the leather-bound notebook. Immediately, the blue-haired man cried out, as if he wanted to snatch away the thing from Misaki's hands.

"That is….Sarashina's diary, Dame." the blue-haired man answered; a hint of resignation moving into his voice.

Misaki looked at the blond; who had been suspiciously quiet all this time; and was surprised to see a spark of anger in his gaze. The blue-haired man only looked desperate, perhaps someone who still wanted to fight his imminent doom.

What…? Why did they watch her like that? Did the ''diary'' contain traitorous schemes against the crown? Were they getting ready to kill her the moment she opened the notebook and read its contents?

Maybe…

Maybe not…

Misaki sighed and waved the notebook in front of them, once again.

"Is that _all_ this is? Are you very opposed to me reading it?" she asked in a neutral tone.

The guards stiffened, their expressions becoming confused. When in history did a superior _ever_ ask for his subordinates' permission? It was stupid. The superior was supposed to have his eyes on everything and everyone….after all; nobody's privacy was more important than the safety of the crown.

Misaki took another deep breathe.

"I'm asking you a question. Answer me _quickly_!"

They all jumped, and it was the blue-haired guard who spoke up, finally standing up on his feet. He stood straight, forming an awkward salute.

"I _would_...rather, Esteemed Dame, that you would not….read it." he rambled, looking at her fearfully.

"I see. And am I to fully believe there is nothing in this diary that can be used against the King and his family, or to compromise anyone in this castle?"

The man stared, agape at Misaki, and then laughed.

Quite actually laughed.

"What is so _hilarious_?"

The man sobered immediately, saluting with more fervor this time. The color in his cheeks had returned however.

"No...no...I just meant to say that...the only person this diary could compromise….is _me_ ….Esteemed Dame…."

"Was that it then….?" Misaki's headache was worsening. She flicked her wrist, and threw the book to him, who barely managed to catch it. Pointing to the three of them in turn, Misaki warned, "I am taking your word for all of this matter, believing that you three are loyal guards for His Majesty's service and you would put your very lives on stake for him, and never keep any secrets regarding the crown from him. The entire Kingdom depends on you. I hope I have not made a mistake in trusting you today."

The men straightened, and Misaki thought that there was a change in their demeanor. Was it respect? _Genuine_ ; respect for her? Or was she simply seeing things? Were they acting for her so that she would leave quickly?

"And also," she continued, a slight blush on her cheeks, "If anything, and I mean _anything_ , suspicious happens again, you are supposed to immediately report to me. Understood?"

Surprisingly, they saluted. A proper salute they would have been required to perfect during their training, and was something the guards only presented at the most important of occasions. It was as if they had finally deemed her worthy for one.

Misaki turned and tilted her head. They all stood regally, seemingly happy with the whole encounter.

Her eyebrow twitched.

"What are you doing standing here? GET BACK TO YOUR POSTS!"

…...


	3. Chapter 3

_She is decisive…_

"...Prince Igarashi will be arriving by dusk and the ball shall be in full flourish by midnight, I think. By then it is up to the superiors how long they want to keep it going. The castle is being cleaned as we speak and the kitchen staff was provided a day leave so they could be on their toes the entire night if they have to."

Shizuko Kaga took a sip of tea from her china mug, basking in the warm aroma for a little while before setting the cup down and turning her attention to her assistant. He had just finished reading the list of preparations done for the ball later the evening, held in honor of Prince Igarashi Tora's arrival.

"The preparations seem adequate." she told him as he meticulously gathered up the roll of parchment. "All that is left is to check on the servants that will be preparing the royal family….have you seen them recently, Yukimura?"

The assistant cringed slightly, tucking the rolled up parchment in his arms. He seemed nervous, as he always did, but Shizuko could tell that this time, she was about to hear something irritating from him.

"The servants are prepared and ready Madame…..but..." he looked away, pursing his lips.

"Speak up, Yukimura. There is no need to put it off."

"Ah...well you see, there were three maids assigned to the Prince….and..." he stopped again.

Shizuko sighed. Of course.

"Let me help you Yukimura...was there a problem concerning those three maids?"

Yukimura nodded, his hands fidgeting with the rolls of parchment.

"One of them…." he croaked, "...seemed to have some kind of disagreement…..and was last seen running away while sobbing by one of the guards by the Prince's quarters…."

" _Last seen_?! What do you mean? Where is she now?"

Yukimura gulped.

"She is yet to be found, Madame….I think she might have run away…."

Shizuko slammed her fist on her mahogany desk, sending her empty tea cup clattering over to the edge.

Yukimura gasped, letting the rolls of parchment fall, where they unrolled over the entire office floor.

"Pardon me." Shizuko muttered, fixing the cup back into its position.

She laced her fingers together over the table, her glasses catching the light coming from the windows.

"We seem to be in quite a conundrum over servants running away. This maid was the fourth one this week. I'm beginning to wonder about their training….."

Her assistant was leaning on his knees, scrambling to gather up the pieces of parchment, though now not as gracefully as before.

"Yes...um….I _did_ tell them of what to expect and how to behave Madame…" he mumbled after straightening up, his face furrowed with worry.

"Hmm...it seems to have not been enough. At this rate I will soon have to tell His Majesty that we are lacking severely in servants...I don't know how he will take any reprimands on his brother's behavior. We might as well get ready to be thrown in the dungeons."

Yukimura stiffened.

"The-the..dungeons?!" he stammered, finally looking at Shizuko with undisguised fear.

She returned his look with a cool gaze.

"Of course. Do you think the King will pardon us for losing three-fourths of the servant population? Why would he pardon someone who cannot even do their jobs correctly?"

There was the glimmer of tears in Yukimura's eyes.

She looked away.

"B-But I cannot go into the dungeons Madame! My family depends on me! My little sister is about to draft to become a _knight_! I cannot be a prisoner!"

Shizuko closed her eyes. Perhaps this was enough to impress on him the gravity of the situation; more than enough, apparently; not that her assistant ever slacked in any of his duties. He was almost obnoxiously serious about all of them. He must have tried his hardest to prevent this situation.

She had been shocked when the King had appointed her an assistant, and had wondered whether he thought that she was too incompetent to manage the castle alone. But since then, she had found herself becoming grateful for her faint-hearted companion; even if only a little.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Do not panic. We need to do what we can right now. Where are the other two maids?"

Yukimura sniffed again, his pause told Shizuko that more abhorable news was in order.

"They…." he started, intertwining and releasing his fingers, "seem reluctant to go back to His Highness….they are understandably distraught….."

"Oh _yes_. So distraught that they cannot be bothered to do their jobs!" Shizuko interrupted, her teeth clenching. She resisted the urge to slam the desk again.

She stood up, straightening her dark robes and fixing her glasses.

"We cannot have this dallying. Let us go talk to them ourselves."

…..

"What do you mean you will not go under _any_ circumstances….! _Fine_! Be out of this castle by evening and do not come _back_!-"

Shizuko Kaga shook her fist angrily as she stood in the door of the servant quarters. The two maids she had come to see, and _persuade_ , were standing in the middle of the room, hands clasped and gazes down. Perhaps in shame. But the shame was not enough for them to obey Shizuko.

Apparently, not even the threat of losing their livelihood seemed enough.

Shizuko's jaw pulsed from clenching it for such a long time.

What was it that made serving the Prince so detestable?

"Shizuko…..Is anything wrong?"

The familiar concerned voice caused Shizuko to take a step back. Her jaw unclenched and she turned to see Dame Ayuzawa standing behind her, hands on her hips, her head tilted in confusion.

"Misaki-san…" Shizuko began, her voice losing all harshness. "...It is nothing much to worry about…" she grimaced, "Just a few servants reluctant to do what is asked of them."

Misaki looked past her to the two maids in the room, who lowered their heads even further, trying to disappear.

"We are sorry, Dame….we just _cannot…_." one of them mumbled, sounding close to tears.

"What is _so_ disgusting that you absolutely cannot?" Misaki's eyes flashed, "Is someone asking something indecent of you two?"

"-N-No….Dame. It's just that he is…" the maid who had spoken up trailed off, bowing her head lower.

"If you do not tell us what is wrong, we will not be able to find a solution." Shizuko reprimanded.

They remained silent.

"I suppose we should go find out ourselves, Shizuko." came the voice from behind her.

She whipped around to see the Dame looking contemplatively at her.

"Who were they assigned to? Some ambassador..?"

Shizuko gulped.

"Are you sure about this Misaki-san?"

Misaki looked back at her, her amber gaze filled with resolution.

"Of course…..We cannot allow things to be off schedule than they already are." she held up a finger, "And we can find out what the problem is ourselves."

When Shizuko did not answer, Misaki repeated.

"So, who are they assigned to?"

Shizuko looked at her, exhaling and pushing her glasses on her nose.

"Prince Takumi."

….


	4. Chapter 4

_She is clever….._

 _Prince Takumi._

Misaki would have liked to go back on her words and make an excuse. It would have been easy, honestly.

Only that it would not have been.

She could not back away after so honestly offering her help, and part of her was furious that she had suggested the idea before knowing who she would be investigating. Why was she so _mindless_?

Not that any cleverness would have mattered in the end. The moment Misaki had heard of Shizuko's predicament, she had known she would be helping her, no matter what kind of problem it was.

 _But Prince Takumi.….._

Misaki bit her lip as she walked through the corridor leading to the Prince's quarters. Her maid's uniform was difficult to maneuver in, too wide at the brim and longer than what she now usually wore. Misaki briefly wondered whether she would be able to fight in the uniform, or whether she would have to tear the skirt. There was a knife hidden in her bodice and one was strapped to her thigh, both weapons she always kept on her; even when going to bed. Their presence calmed her a little. If trouble did arrive, Misaki was confident she would be able to battle it.

Unless the trouble was not something she could simply stab.

She reached the end of a short, dark hallway and paused in front of the grand double doors of the Prince's chambers. They were as cold and uninviting as she had thought they would be. Misaki took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. She straightened her clothes and knocked.

There was no answer.

Pursing her lips, Misaki knocked again; wondering again whether there was any way she could have avoided this situation.

There was still no answer.

Misaki's eyebrow twitched.

"Your Highness?" she called in the sweetest voice she could muster. "May I come in?"

She heard someone shift inside, but the sound had arrived and left so quickly that Misaki was half sure she had imagined it.

A little forcefully this time, she knocked again, making sure to use her loudest, but politest voice.

"Your Highness? Is everything alright in there? Are you okay?"

This time, she definitely heard the sound of a book being closed.

Lips twitching, Misaki called again.

"Your Highness….? If you do not alert me to your presence I might think that you are in trouble, or unconscious. I'm sure that given that you're in such peril that you cannot answer me, I am allowed to come in your room uninvited-"

One of the doors swung open.

Misaki stepped back and bowed as a tall figure appeared in the door frame. His blond hair was ruffled, covering his emerald green eyes that were glaring at her. He was only dressed in plain shirt and pants, both in the same unkempt condition, that anyone who had never seen him would not even _mistake_ him for the Prince of Seika.

Or perhaps they would, because only the Prince of Seika could be handsome in such attire.

Misaki took a deep breath again, bracing herself for the on-roll of emotions that were going to be the highlight of her conversation with him, mostly of which would be anger; because even though Misaki had the misfortune to meet many insufferable people; the Prince was the most insufferable, heartless twat she had ever met. What was worse, of course, was that she could not mention the above to his face.

"I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be left alone." he said softly, but the anger in his tone was clear.

Fantastic.

Misaki bowed again, her mind whirring with information as she tried to be as polite and ashamed as possible. The Prince wanted to be left alone? There were certainly no surprises there; he was a natural loner, never found among people, and if someone had the fallacy to go to him; he would immediately make them realize their mistake.

He was quite charming that way.

Normally the Prince would be easily left to his devices, as his stubbornness knew no end and the King was not interested enough to force his brother to participate in running the Kingdom. Tonight, however, was different, because Prince Igarashi Tora was arriving with his entourage. Him and the Prince were the same age and had once been childhood friends too, although Misaki had found no evidence of it in any of the portraits or stories or rumors that surrounded the castle. Nevertheless, the arriving Prince had explicitlyillustrated in his letters how much he would love to meet his childhood friend again and reminiscence the times gone by.

The said friend avoiding the ball held especially for his welcome would definitely complicate their relationship.

Misaki cleared her throat.

"That was...understood...Your Highness...but the King has given clear orders that you are present at the time of the ball, to welcome-"

"-to welcome another conceited, cocky _bozo…_.." the Prince brushed his hair out of his eyes and leaned towards her, squinting, "...I believe my time is better spent staring at the patterns on the walls of my room."

She should have backed away and lowered her head, like all the normal servants and citizens would do in the presence of royalty. Instead, Misaki stood her ground and matched the Prince's gaze, her own annoyance burning inside her, wanting to come out, even if through a very, very, small chink. In his harried state, the Prince might not even notice such brazenness.

His squinted face cleared; all anger replaced by sudden thoughtfulness.

Misaki looked away and cursed herself.

"Why….." he muttered, sounding too close to her for comfort, "...I'm pretty sure I've never seen you before….are you a new maid here...?"

Misaki's cheeks burned. She had not counted on the Prince to be paying so much attention. He never came out of his chambers, preferred to dine alone, to spend his time reading or things nobody knew about and could only guess. He had only physically been present at the time Misaki was knighted, preferring to stare out a window than look at his brave and loyal subjects. The castle was filled with rumors about him; but nobody quite ever saw him, much less talked to him.

There was no possible way for him to remember her.

But what if he _did_ remember? What if he recognized her? What then? Would she finally cause the blunder that will send her to the dungeons? And worse, strip her of everything she had worked hard for in her entire life?

"Hmm….when you had come here I thought you had an urgent job to do…..but look at you now, wasting time looking at your shoes…."

Indignation shot up Misaki's brain and she whipped her head back to face him; only to gasp and stumble back, because he was _standing so close_... _too_ _close…_..

Her face burning even more furiously; Misaki could only stare at the Prince as his eyes twinkled with mirth; the shadow of a smirk on his lips. It was astonishing how quickly this person's mood had changed. And it was because he had caused Misaki to create a fool of herself.

Her indignation returned.

" _Yes_ , Your Highness, " she hissed, glaring at him without hesitation, "It would be good if we could hurry."

He looked thoughtful again, his smirk vanishing. Then he turned and walked back inside his room, leaving the door open for her to follow.

Still angry but breathing a sigh of relief; Misaki entered his broad chambers, keeping close to the door. She had worked as a maid for one Lady Satsuki when she was still training to be a knight; and knew most the tactics required to properly serve people who had been raised to dominate other people. The only difference was that, Lady Satsuki had been a kind, understanding mistress, one that Misaki happily served. This Prince however; was a master she would happily set on fire.

But that could not be done.

She would have to control her anger and focus on more vital things. That was the way of a leader.

"If I may, Your Highness, I would like to ask a question- _what_ _are_ _you_ _doing_?!"

The Prince only glanced back her as he finished unbuttoning his shirt.

"What..? I thought I was supposed to be getting ready."

Misaki's face burned again; it was doing that a lot; betraying her emotions in front of the Prince. She bit her lip, thinking quickly. Ignoring him; she carefully set his newly washed and primed suit on the nearest cushion, walked back to the door and turned her back to him.

There was very prolonged silence behind her, as if he was watching her. Misaki wondered if she was going to get thrown out of his chambers for refusing to look at her Prince. It was amazing really, the kind of things that might be considered as an offence against the monarchy. Taking deep breaths, Misaki decided that it was still less mortifying than watching the Prince strip himself.

"What...aren't you supposed to be assisting me in getting ready?" came his voice, more amused than insulted.

"I shall assist you if you need it, Your Highness."

"What do you mean by that?"

Misaki's head was pulsing.

"Pardon me, but I am quite sure that, Your Highness is perfectly capable of changing his attire himself."

There was another pause.

She was definitely going to be thrown out.

Instead of that, she heard something quite like a chuckle.…..a very light and soft sound that she would have missed it if it was not for the complete silence in the room. Misaki could not believe that it might have come from the bigoted person behind her.

She heard the ruffling of clothes for a few more moments, before he spoke again.

"Okay, I'm done."

Some of the weight on Misaki's shoulders lifted. One part of this endeavor had been completed, at least.

She turned around and grimaced in shock.

Had anyone ever taught this person how to put on clothes?

He must have noticed her expression again, because he raised an eyebrow at her; his eyes cold, almost daring her to comment. He stood in the centre of his room with his arms raised horizontally to the floor, producing some image of a annoyed scarecrow. The prim suit hanged awkwardly off him, unbuttoned, bulging and wrinkling as if it was too large for him.

"For someone so high-strung, you sure do waste a lot of time." he smiled, "Wonder what I shall tell the King when he asks me why I am late?"

The mention of the King put Misaki into action.

She slipped out a needle and thread out of her bodice, which was just one of the many things she had learned to always keep at hand. Although, to be honest, situations like the present were not what she had had in mind when preparing. She stalked over to him, putting the thread to her lips and then slipping it through the needle, all with the efficiency of an expert seamstress.

His gaze was fixed on her as she started fitting his coat, and Misaki felt absurdly conscious. It was highly inappropriate for her to be alone with him in his chambers, even if very reluctantly. And for her to be actually fixing his clothes as he stood; being so near him? She would be executed without a second thought. Her family would be banished; and all that Misaki had worked towards would end, simply because the Prince was too lazy to fix his clothes.

It was best to be as quick as possible, before anyone-

Misaki's hand paused mid-swing for just a fraction of a second.

Then she resumed her work, her mind thrumming with more pressing thoughts.

"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?" she mumbled through the string in her mouth. It was probably not the most graceful display she had made, but it could not be helped.

There was another pause, before there was a grunt above her; which Misaki took as agreement.

"Where are the guards stationed outside your chambers? I did not see anyone as I came here."

She asked this as generically and politely as she could; sounding just like a very curious and (the thought made her irk) a very scared servant who was in need of assurance from her superior.

There was silence again, but Misaki kept her rhythmic movements, knowing that there was a good chance that he might answer.

"And why do _you_ want to know?"

Misaki almost flinched. Almost.

"...I am..simply concerned, Your Highness. The gates will be open tonight and a lot of strangers will be admitted-"

"Those are hardly things a maid like you has to concern herself with." he said softly, "...but If you must know, _I_ was the one who sent them away."

Misaki did pause in her work this time, her hand freezing in the air, as the other one held his collar.

"What?"

"...You-You sent them away, Your Highness...?" she asked weakly.

"Yes."

Misaki pursed her lips. Something in his tone was telling her that he would not answer if she asked why.

As she stood frozen in her shock, he grabbed her hand. Misaki flinched and tried to pull back, but his hold was strong; stronger than most of the men she had fought with in her life as a knight. She instinctively clicked her tongue and pulled back, already aiming the needle at his skin. He stopped her as easily as if she had presented her hand for him to hold.

Misaki cringed.

Now was not the time…..

"You know I've been wondering for quite a while….." he muttered, leaning closer to her, his emerald eyes shining with intent, " why a new servant like you would be so interested in the castle's security?"

"...Huh…?" Misaki stammered, unable to look away.

Was _that_ what he was thinking? That she was a spy? That she was here to carry out some nefarious plot against the King? _Her_? If she had not been so furious, Misaki could have actually laughed.

"What are you planning….? I already have most of it figured out, so you'll be only filling out minor details...but if you help I might just save you from execution..."

"What?! _No_..! I-"

A loud crash reverberated in the corridor outside.

…..


	5. Chapter 5

_She is dangerous….._

Misaki groaned as she slipped again, her body tilting backwards into the air as pieces of rock tumbled past her. She waited for the impact from the ground, but instead felt strong arms bracing her.

"Stop it already, this way is a lost cause." A monotone voice muttered from behind her.

She shoved herself away from his grasp quickly, not bothering to care that she might be offending the Prince. His presence had been nothing more than a brooding nuisance since they had rushed out from his chambers to find the source of the ominous noise; only to find the corridor halfway blocked by rubble. Misaki was panicking, quite sure that the palace was under attack while she was stuck as a maid, trapped with the one person in the world who did not seem to care at all.

"What do you suggest then?" she said, unable to keep the scathing from her voice.

The Prince studied her carefully, apparently not in any hurry to answer. Misaki felt her blood boil. The castle was under attack, the King was in danger, and this person was too busy being _mysterious_ to care! She wanted to spat all of this at his face, just to lessen the intensity of frustration she was feeling. Who cared anyway? She was trapped here, away from duty, and even if the crisis abated, Misaki would be held ( _duly_ ) responsible for not being present when the castle needed her most.

What kind of pathetic Head of the Guard was she?

Misaki pressed her fingers to her throbbing forehead.

 _No_.

She must calm down.

A panicked brain is incapable of doing anything but panicking.

"You know what, you should stay here."

Misaki's head shot up to look at the Prince, who had been studying her panic attack with mild concern. Now his eyes told her that he had come to a decision.

"My chambers will be safe, apparently, if they have gone to the lengths of blocking an escape." he muttered, looking past her at the rubble on the floor. "You can stay here until the attack is over. It will be safe."

He nodded to himself, as if he had solved all her problems.

Misaki's face scrunched with confusion. What? Why would she want to stay here? She needed to go towards the attack! It was her duty! And why was he speaking as if she was the only one who was going to stay? How was the Prince going to navigate his way through the rubble?

She folded her arms across her chest, looking at him coolly.

"I am not staying here waiting for the danger to pass, Your Highness. I need to get to the King."

His gaze found her again, all casualness gone, replaced by a glint of firm; and expected, accusation.

"Oh? So you may run a knife through him and finish what you came here for?"

Misaki's mouth fell open in disbelief. But then she closed it again, her muddled thoughts finally making sense. Of course he believed that she was an outside agent sent to distract him through the attack. She was in a maid's uniform, posing as a substitute in order to coax the loner Prince out into the Ballroom so the King would not punish Shizuko and the maids. If the night had gone according to plan; she would be in the ballroom right now, in her real uniform; with her sword, ready to protect the King at a moment's notice.

But all had not gone according to plan.

She could hear the din of swords and shouts from the floor below, and something that sounded like ominous chanting but Misaki could not quite place it. The noise, so far away from her, where she could not help, when she did not even have her _sword_ , sent chills through Misaki's heart.

She pursed her lips.

"I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding, Your Highness. I am not here to kill the King."

She met his eyes with a calm gaze. He did not look convinced.

Misaki resisted the urge to sigh and plead with his stupidity. Instead she just rubbed her temple, already feeling exhausted.

"Please understand, Your Highness. If I were here to kill the King, why have I not tried to attack you?"

The corner of his lips turned up.

"Of course;" he started, raising his eyebrows to accentuate that what he was saying was obvious, "to make me trust you and lead you to the King. We could torture and execute you later, but, all is already lost once the knife has found its target."

Misaki was not deterred.

"I think it would be far easier to threaten you with a knife, Your Highness."

His grin widened. As if she had suggested something so out of this world that he could not help being amused at it.

"Threaten? _Me_?" he rubbed his chin, looking at her coyly, "Oh why didn't I think of that?"

His tone reminded Misaki of her fellow soldiers at the training camp; young boys with big dreams and an even bigger amount of arrogance, who used to have fun teasing Misaki; for being a girl, in a soldiers camp. They tried their best to blow up her weaknesses for the world to see; telling all their instructors that she was unfit to be a soldier. Their attempts grew more frantic as she became more and more popular among their instructors because of her skills; but by then it was too late.

She became their senior.

Misaki did not give any indication that she had heard the mocking in the Prince's tone. She folded her arms across her chest, reaching inside her bodice.

The Prince simply stood there, apparently in no hurry to join the panic in his castle, or to get a rise out of her. He stared at her coolly, his emerald green eyes shining with the belief that he had won the argument.

She moved quickly, just like she had practiced a thousand times in the training room; in her bedroom, always pretending that some day she would have a real enemy and there would be no more pretending. She grabbed the Prince's hand, and brought her knife to his exposed chest; stopping a millimeter away from his heart.

Misaki looked up to him; their faces inches from each other. She tried not to feel too satisfied at the way his eyes had widened; his pupils quivering.

Then the shock was gone. Misaki felt herself being pushed away, her hands being twisted behind her back, so the knife dropped to the floor with a clatter. She smiled, feeling the force of his grip. He was afraid that she might get away.

She turned to look at him, her dark bangs falling over her eyes.

"You unarguably seem to be stronger than me, Your Highness. But of course; everything is already lost once the knife has found its target."

The Prince's eyes were still widened with shock as he studied her, as if braced for her next move. He remained quite as Misaki stared at him; silently challenging him, daring him to refute the fact that no matter how much taller or bigger he was, she was the winner.

He loosened his grip on her wrists and Misaki saw the Prince's expression gradually dissolve into the pristine calmness that was typical on him. However, there was a glint in his eye when he looked at her that she could not quite place. It did not seem malicious, but it unsettled her.

Misaki let her aching wrists fall to her side without rubbing them. She faced the Prince with the same determination that had been burning inside her the moment he had suggested she should stay behind.

"Do you believe me now, Your Highness?"

The Prince glanced at her and ran a hand through his hair. Misaki bit back another smile. Perhaps he was not as calm as he wanted to appear.

His fingers stayed in his hair for a long time. He stopped looking at Misaki soon enough, instead staring at a stone on one side of the corridor, apparently in deep thought. Misaki pursed her lips; feeling conscious and deflated altogether, by every passing second, thinking that the Prince might not have been convinced. Or that he was a fool who was going to waste time till it was too late.

The Prince finally sighed and ran a hand over his face.

Then he walked over to the wall he was staring at, and pressed a particular stone in it; even though Misaki could not see any distinguishing features. Wondering if her stunt had actually caused the Prince to go mad; she sauntered to his side.

Then the wall before her moved.

It was just a section in one corner of the wall, moving itself with a loud, grating sound of stone on stone and revealing a dimly lit passageway beyond. Misaki's mouth had fallen open again, as she slowly moved closer towards the cavern as if in a trance. Pressing her hand to the side of the door she peered inside. The passageway was all stone work too; but looked older than the castle's. A stale-smelling wind blew at Misaki's face and she scrunched up her nose.

"I did not know-" she started but was interrupted with a curt voice.

"-Don't worry. Nobody does."

Misaki scowled as the Prince stalked past her, into the stale darkness as if he were taking a stroll in the gardens. She had a nagging feeling that all the time he spent away from society, might have been spent here. Confusion came in her mind for a split second. Misaki was sure people born in rich families did not like lurking in dark passageways that smelled of rot and mildew; as a hobby. And yet, the Prince looked entirely at home between the narrow stone walls and dark, wooden torches.

"Oh now you're going to waste time staring at _me_? I thought you were in a hurry."

Misaki caught the Prince's gaze and blushed despite herself.

She hurried though the doorway, not bothering to reply to him.

…


	6. Chapter 6

_She is mature…_

Misaki felt as if they had been walking for hours.

It was not a realistic measurement; but that was definitely what she was feeling in the narrow stone passageway that she did not know existed in the castle's walls, until now. She could not hear the din of battle anymore; and that only added to the tightness in her chest. Was the battle over? What had happened? Had they won? Had they lost? How much had they lost? Part of Misaki wished the battle was not over, that she would be able to make it in time; that she would not be immediately accused of leaving her soldiers alone to fight.

Sweat beaded her forehead; the maid costume was stifling against her body. Misaki pulled at her cotton collar to lessen the heat; but it did not help much.

She looked at the Prince; walking leisurely just a few paces ahead of her; having not even once looked back since they had left his chambers. Wonder and confusion clouded Misaki's mind again; about the haughty Prince who did not even deem fixing his own clothes worthy enough for effort; yet looked like he travelled inside the dirty castle walls all the time; and seemed calmer in the time of crisis than the people who had spent their entire youth training themselves for it.

Misaki did not like him; but his attitude was something she would respect.

"How long till we reach the King?" she asked, before adding, "Your Highness?"

It took him a moment to slow down and glance back at her, as if he had been contemplating whether to completely ignore her or not. Misaki was glad he had chosen the latter; even if his expression was the epitome of disdain when he looked at her.

"You ask too many questions." he said.

Misaki bristled. Give it to this man to not make anything easy for her.

"Of course Your Highness. It is only natural to be curios when you are being led blindly through dark passageways you have never been to before." she replied through a thin-lipped smile.

He turned to face her fully; the disdain replaced by amusement. Misaki should be thankful that he did not take her sarcasm as a direct blow to his ego, even though his obvious glee at riling her up was not any less easy to handle.

"I'm your Prince. Don't you trust me?"

Misaki raised her eyebrow slightly; meeting his gaze.

"With all due respect, Your Highness, I make it a point to never trust anyone I have just met."

"Oh?" he took a step towards her, "You seemed to be very trusting when you stepped in this passageway after me."

Misaki felt her hand fall to her sides when he took another step forward.

"Following you for a way out does not mean I trust you." she muttered, unconsciously bracing herself.

The torchlight framed the Prince's face; giving him an aura that made the hairs on Misaki's skin prickle up.

They remained still for a long while; the tension in the air was palpable.

"Speaking of trust." he began, speaking as if though he was talking about the weather, "You do not seem like a normal maid to me."

Misaki did not reply. She could hear the sound of blood pumping against her eardrums.

"Normal maids, you know…...would have been quick to tell me that they trust me with their lives. They also do not keep knives stashed inside their uniforms, and they definitely do not threaten their Princes with them." he smirked, "What _most_ confuses me, however; is the intense amount of sass you employ that I have never seen in any one before; much less my maids."

"You do not seem like you care about offending me, even though you are a servant of this castle." he tilted his head, his blond bangs falling over his eyes, "You must forgive me if I find that a little suspicious."

Misaki tried not to roll her eyes. Typical of royalty to believe that the entire world owed them control over their lives. Even more typical that the royalty, did in fact have complete control over everyone's life and there was nothing else to do but to grovel at their feet for mercy and hope they do not decide a painful fate. Even if his suspicions were correct; Misaki knew that even if she was just a lowly maid serving in this castle; she would not let the likes of him control her life.

She was in charge of her own fate.

Even if the Prince found out that she is, after all, someone under the King's service, and then if he wanted to banish her from her position; Misaki decided that she would walk out with her head held high. She had worked hard for ten years to achieve everything she had now. She would work ten more.

"Now the question is this," the Prince continued, slowly stepping towards her. Misaki's muscles remained taut, but she did not move. "Whether you will be telling me what I want to know by _yourself_ ," he stopped inches away from her, lifting her chin with one hand. Misaki could feel his calm breath; see the malicious glint in his eyes. Her heart thundered in her chest.

"...or will I have to make you?" he breathed.

Misaki's muscles screamed at her to run away, or to fight, or to do both. Her body remained taut; stretched as a spring about to snap. Part of her wanted to see what the Prince would do; she wanted to find out whether she could take him or not. The relish of outsmarting him once was still on her mind; she wondered if she could do it a second time.

No…

The castle was in danger…

Misaki forced her muscles to relax. Her shoulders fell back and she released the breath she had not realized she had been holding. She shook her head as the fear-induced adrenaline left her.

"There is no need to keep anything from you, Your Highness."

…

"The Dame? _You're_ the famous dame?"

Misaki tried not to cringe at the derision in his tone. She was used to it, after all. Nobody believed that the King's finest knight was a slim, angry, teenage girl. The Prince was watching her with a raised eyebrow, as if looking for any indication of a lie; or maybe trying to find any indication that she might be telling the truth. Misaki tried not to stand up straighter or pull her chin up. Such actions would only amuse him.

"Yes, Your Highness." she replied in monotone.

"Where's your medal?"

Misaki _did_ cringe this time.

"It is…..on my uniform...which is not with me right now…."

The Prince became more skeptical.

"Yes. That was another thing I was wondering about."

Misaki sighed. She could not tell him about Shizuko.

"I….I was filling for the staff today since there seemed to be a lot of work for them to do…."

He chuckled loudly, and Misaki immediately knew she had said the wrong thing.

"Rarely anyone works a job that they do not get paid for, Dame. I'm guessing this 'help' of yours was more personal than you want to imply…." he rubbed his forehead, shaking his head, "But I suppose, you being the Dame is not very unbelievable after all. I had heard that you could be….unpredictable."

His eyes shined for a moment as if he were remembering something.

"I am still going to stay on guard though, if you don't mind." he told her in a tone suggesting he did not care either way, "The moment I see something suspicious is the moment your life will end."

Misaki tried not to shiver at his words. Even if she was completely innocent; she had a feeling the Prince would not care, and she would not be able to escape if he decided that she should not be allowed to live.

"I suppose you could follow me for now then."

He turned and started walking ahead, but Misaki remained rooted to her spot.

"I have told you everything, Your Highness." Misaki said loudly; her voice scratchy from staying quiet for so long. "And you know that I am the Dame."

The Prince stopped and raised an irritated eyebrow at her.

"So?"

"So, I believe there would be no harm in telling me exactly what is happening inside the castle. You seem to have known about this attack before it happened."

He looked away; annoyance replaced by contemplation.

"That is…correct. I suspected this attack. There were skirmishes among the staff for the past month. I just happened to notice a few things…." he trailed off, as if wondering how much to tell her. Then he sighed and closed his eyes. "There were a few...letters going around that seemed harmless at first but had a coded message on them."

"It seemed that someone was trying to communicate with an agent inside the castle, is my best guess…"

Letters…?

"I don't have anything solid to prove my suspicions, yet. However, I would advise being careful around the foreign Prince who has just arrived."

Misaki perked up; her mind whirring. Prince Igarashi? He was involved in this? Or was it just the Prince's own hatred acting out to make a false assumption?

She pushed back the curt accusations and comments that came to her mouth. It was not like she knew anything better. There might be no saying that Prince Igarashi was involved; but there was no proof that he was not involved either.

Something else nagged in Misaki's brain with the mention of questionable letters. She became suddenly aware of a thin piece of paper tucked into her bodice; something she had only been keeping with herself because she did not want to leave it in her chambers for the danger of anyone else stumbling upon it.

Blushing furiously and aggressively hoping that her hunch was correct; Misaki pulled out a rectangular letter out of her uniform pocket. Its seal flapped open, revealing a neatly folded parchment inside.

"If we are speaking of questionable letters…..One of my guards found this next to their bedstead…" Misaki's tone grew uncomfortable, "although it may be just a joke by the stable boys….."

Misaki's hand trembled when she handed the parchment over.

There was a long silence as the Prince read the paper.

"I did not know you were interested in this sort of-"

"-It was something thrown in the guard's quarters!" Misaki cut him off without thinking; feeling her face burn.

She heard him chuckle.

Misaki looked up to glare at him but he was already moving away; towards one of the torches set in a bracket on the surrounding walls.

"I'm not too sure, but maybe this is….." The Prince muttered as he raised the paper to one of the torches. Its flame flickered towards his hand as if it sensed flesh nearby. Misaki thought he was going to burn the paper, but he only brought it closer to flickering flame; running it over from side to side.

Misaki gasped. She had only ever read about it; and had hardly believed it to be true. It was said that there was a certain ink in the foreign lands that was invisible to any reader until put directly in front of a flame.

The Prince smirked as he studied the previously blank underside of the letter; his eyes glittering with triumph.

"It's about time….!" he breathed.

…..


	7. Chapter 7

_She is daring…._

"Your Majesty."

Misaki raised herself from a long, drawn-out bow. Her mind was still whirring, but at least one of her concerns had been placated; the King was safe. Prince Takumi had led her through the secret passage for about another ten minutes before they came to a door; one that Misaki had never seen before despite her having memorized the entire castle. She soon came to know that it was not one of the rooms that were visible from the outside; but was actually as secret and hidden as the passages she had traveled through.

She had found King Gerard there; reclining on one of the many plush cushions that were in the square room. As Misaki took in the splendor of the impromptu haven; which was on par with the splendor of the King's own chambers except that it was significantly smaller; she became completely convinced that the occurring attack had been no surprise to anyone.

Except her.

Her fists clenched at her sides. What a joke it must be, that she had to do absolutely _nothing_ to save the King. She didn't even know how the King had been saved; until it did not matter anymore. She had never been allowed in these plans; as if she was just another lowly maid; not the Dame she had fought hard to be. Her blood boiled; the sound pounding in her ears.

"A pleasure to see a new face, Ayuzawa…." the King said lightly. He held a goblet of wine in one of his hands; his slim fingers caressing the smooth rim. He did not care to stay somber even while enemies were just a few feet away. He was as Misaki remembered; with shiny black hair and easy smile; a face that was still handsome despite the damage illness had wrought on it. His blue eyes still glistened with the same cunning and speed Misaki had learned were the King's greatest strengths. He was wearing his night dress; legs resting on a small table in front of him; with no weapons in sight and was slowly humming some jolly song; the calmest she had ever seen someone who was in mortal danger.

Misaki clasped her hands behind her back; holding her head high; and spoke as regally as she could. She had been pathetic at her job until now; but would not be a moment more.

"Your Majesty; do not you think you should have dressed a bit" she coughed, " _practically_?" She looked away. "Your…. _attire_...is going to be quite a liability when you have to flee."

The King waved his goblet, still not looking at her. The red liquid sloshed violently against its gold sides.

" _If_." he said, "If I had to flee. I don't believe the need will arise." he turned to look at her; his blue eyes shining with mirth. Misaki was struck by the resemblance between both brothers. "And if we are speaking of liable attires…." his gaze swept over her. Misaki cringed internally. "….you do not seem very well prepared either."

She coughed, feeling her ears burn.

"This...this was….I was being a necessary replacement….and I-I did not know about the attack…" she trailed off; ashamed that she was making excuses. Maybe she _was_ better off as just a lowly servant.

"What's this?" the King said; suddenly curious. He did not seem angry at all that she had changed her occupation without asking him. "You didn't know?"

His gaze moved over to his brother; who had been standing quietly beside one of the walls; disinterested in their conversation. She heard him click his tongue in annoyance; behavior only a Prince like him could show to the ruling monarch of his country.

"I work alone, Gerard. And I am right in doing so." he said simply. The words stung at Misaki for unknown reasons. She almost did not notice that the Prince did not address the King properly.

These brothers must be closer than it appeared to the world.

King Gerard sighed; sounding much like a frustrated adult talking to their child.

"I know. But you cannot fight _alone,_ you twerp _._ I told you take hold of the castle's guards when it happened."

"And leave you alone?" the Prince replied. They seemed to have forgotten Misaki was there. Or perhaps they didn't care. "You would probably end up choking on your own wine."

"And a brilliant end that would be." the King waved nonchalantly; as if the prospect of his own death was as unimportant as the day's weather. "We need to keep the castle folk safe. They will be dying for nothing."

The Prince clicked his tongue again.

"Oh, who cares about them? They swore their lives to you anyway."

"Don't be stupid, Takumi."

For the first time; Misaki heard the tinge of anger in the King's carefree tone.

"Fine." Prince Takumi sighed. "But I'm still not going anywhere."

"If your Majesty allows; I would like to go rally our forces." Misaki spoke up. Her anger had subsided, giving her a new direction to work in. If the King was safe; and he _was_ , as much as Misaki would not like to admit it; safest with his brother than with anyone else, even her; then she must work on taking back the castle.

Both men turned towards her in surprise. They _had_ forgotten about her.

"You want to go?" the King repeated; as if collecting his thoughts.

"If your Majesty wishes." Misaki intoned; keeping her gaze down. "I will rally the guards and we shall fight the attackers. If things go well; I will report to you in an hour."

There was a snort from behind her. Misaki ignored it.

"An hour? Really?" The King looked unconvinced and surprised at the same time. He remained quiet for a moment; staring at his goblet; before he slowly nodded. A small smile spread over his face. "Alright, Ayuzawa. You better be back here in an hour."

Misaki felt her heart expand in her chest; but she kept her expression neutral. She bowed regally to the King before turning away. This was her chance. She would prove to the King that he had not made the wrong choice. And she would prove to the Prince that he was not only one who could rescue the castle. She would rescue it without his help.

He was studying her, his emerald green eyes sparkling in much the same way his brother's did; but with more derision and arrogance. Misaki wondered if such emotions were only directed at her; or if they were simply part of his personality.

She bowed to him.

"Your Highness….?" she asked, straightening. He quirked his eyebrow at her; leaning against the wall.

"Please. I would need your help to lead me back into the castle."

His features hardened for a moment; and Misaki thought he was going to refuse her. Just when she was about to turn away and try to locate the secret door herself; the Prince moved; walking in front of her, opening a door that had been invisible before and walking gracefully through.

She heard a chuckle from behind her.

"He is an insufferable brat." the King commented. "But you can trust him with your life."

Misaki stared at the King out of the corner of her eye. It seemed to her that it was his way of asking her to please be friends with his little brother; that he was rude but he had a good heart. It was such an older sibling-like thing to say; that Misaki smiled. Even the people born to rule the world held the same emotions as any ordinary man.

"We don't have all night, _Dame_."

The Prince was leaning out of the dark tunnel, glaring at her. Misaki blushed again; wondering how she ended up wasting time whenever the Prince was the one waiting. Pulling out her knife from her bosom, and receiving surprised glances from the King; Misaki hurried into the darkness once again.

She had less than one hour.

Let the mission begin.

…

Misaki could hear the din of fighting even before the door was fully open. Another corridor came into view. Light spilled onto her face and she squinted; taking in a fresh breathe of air. Another thing she was glad for was finally getting away from the rotten-smell of the passageways. When she came here again; she would bring a handkerchief, or some rose perfume. She let her eyes roam around the corridor; with its iron armor stands, portraits, red curtains and stone walls. She recognized the place; it was near her chambers, although it seemed the fight had not reached here yet.

Good. She would be able to get her sword.

"One hour." the Prince breathed in her ear. Misaki jumped away; her body shivering. The Prince only stared at her; leaning in the doorway. "Even if you somehow manage to recapture the castle," he continued, "I doubt you'd be able to do it so quickly, with all the time you waste. What _do_ you keep thinking about?"

Misaki grimaced and rubbed her arms; not replying.

She stepped out into the corridor; her feet making no sound. The Prince pulled back into the darkness; hand raised to close the door-

"Wait." she said, placing a hand on the moving slab of rock; stopping it. She saw the Prince's eyes widen; possibly surprised by her strength.

"You must tell me how to come back." she said; completely unperturbed. "Because I _will_ be coming back…Your Highness."

….

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **A bit OOC (out-of-character) Gerard and Usui here. I'd like to think the two step-brothers become something like family after they are the only ones left.**_

 _ **Thanku for your support to this fic! Thanku for reading this far! It is much appreciated.**_

 _ **(And Gerard was humming Maid samas opening because I could not let this opportunity pass!)**_

 _ **RxR!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_She does what needs to be done….._

Misaki tugged at her belt and pulled it tight around her. It was refreshing to finally be out of the stifling maid's dress. She slipped her prized sword into its sheath at her hip; enjoying the feel of an actual weapon in her hand. Now that she was alone and back in a familiar place; her confidence shot up dramatically. She could do this now. She knew how to do this.

First she had to find her guards.

She slipped out of her room; closing the door lightly behind her.

The corridor was silent. Had the fight ended? Or had it only begun? Why could she not hear the cheers of her guards then? Anxiety crawled up her throat again as she ran towards the entrance of the castle; where the sounds had been coming from. Strange place for them to have launched their attack; where all the sentinels of the castle and those of the coming Prince would have been stationed. There were no signs of quarrel anywhere around her. It was as if no one had walked here for days. Misaki stopped.

Where was everyone?

It was then when he appeared; swooping down from the ceiling as if a blue-purple bat; his robes billowing in every direction. Misaki saw the glint of his glasses seconds before he had moved; and that was probably what saved her.

She drew her sword as he landed gracefully in front of her. He straightened; a light smile on his pale chin; a fringe of dark hair covering his fore-head; the rest of his face was hidden under his purple hood. Misaki noticed his ungloved hands; with multi-colored rings on every finger. They glimmered dangerously in the light of the lamps.

"And who are you?" she asked; her voice level.

She saw the man's smile freeze on his face. Misaki raised an eyebrow. For such an ostentatious introduction, he sure had lost his tongue quickly. What had he been expecting? For her to run away? For her to collapse on the ground; screaming for mercy?

His lips moved, finally; but no coherent words came out. Clearly, things were not going as he had expected.

Misaki turned her sword; its tip landing next to his throat. She saw his eyes widen beneath the glasses. His hands twitched at his sides, but he did not move.

"I asked you a question. Who are you and what are you doing inside the castle?"

Still nothing…..He seemed to be in some kind of dilemma that made him unable to move. Misaki mentally sighed. She had met two extremely strange and annoying men in the entirety of a single hour. Stupendous.

She moved her feet, ambling closer to the still man. Her sword had barely poked him before he violently sprung; jumping back in an onrush of blue and purple robes. Misaki saw him; face flushed and dark; crazed, eyes; as he raised his bejeweled hand towards her.

Her entire body froze.

Misaki felt her grip loosen and her sword clatter to the ground.

The manic man grinned; his crazed eyes glowing dark blue. Misaki felt entranced by them; she had always thought people like him were a myth; something storytellers created inside their minds and only children ever believed in.

"...A Sorcerer…." she whispered; unable to contain her amazement. It could not be true. Such things were for the foolish minded; the ones who were incapable of doing anything themselves and required the idea of ''magic'' to save them….It simply could not be true….

The man's grinned widened; sweeping all of her doubts away.

"Yes. The very best Sorcerer in the Kingdom….nay, in the entire world!" he roared. Misaki realized with a jolt that he was someone relatively young; possibly near her age. His voice was scratchy; as if he rarely ever used it.

"...My name is Kanou Soutarou…" he continued; as if binding her had loosened his own tongue. "…and I am here to destroy this castle."

Misaki immediately perked up; her disorientation at his magic vanishing. Destroy the castle? Could his magic do that? Her mind reeled; and a scene from earlier flashed in her mind.

"You were the one who blocked the Prince's chambers." It was a statement; not a question; but he answered eagerly.

"Yes." he leered. "I've been told that he can be troublesome….though I don't see how he could triumph against my powers."

"Indeed."

Misaki did not try to show the satisfaction that bloomed through her; lest the sorcerer find out that the Prince had indeed; triumphed over his barricade; more so that he had simply bypassed it as if it was a stray rock on the road. Let him and whoever had initiated this attack think that the Prince was trapped inside his chambers. There was obviously someone else also involved. They must also think that the King is alone; hiding somewhere, panicking for his life. Relief flourished through her and she found herself grateful for the first time in the night that somebody else had anticipated the attack before her. All would have been lost, if the Prince had not been as clever; resourceful and hard-working as he was…..

Misaki felt her cheeks warm. The Prince was definitely someone admirable.

But the idea of ever complimenting him seemed extremely painful.

She looked up back to Kanou Soutarou, banishing the Prince from her mind. She would think about how to deal with him later. If indeed, she would ever meet him again.

She had had an idea.

"Kanou." she called him; in the most pleasant voice she could muster. The Sorcerer immediately stiffened; and Misaki smiled. "Kanou. You must tell me where my guards are."

He stood there; mouth agape; the frenzy in his eyes replaced with fear. Misaki felt sensation in her limbs returning. Only a little; not enough for her to move; but his hold was weakening. Her gamble had been correct.

"I-I" he stuttered; his cheeks reddening.

"Kanou." she said softly again, willing her expression to be soft and pretty; not hard as she had made herself to be. "You must tell me everything."

"Who are you working for?" she asked; her eyes flitting over him; watching as his fingers trembled slightly.

His lips moved as if he was about to say a name, but then he pursed them, looking horrified.

"..I-I work alone…" he stuttered. Misaki mentally cursed.

"Please Kanou." She continued, "Won't you tell me even a little bit?"

Misaki cringed internally, hoping she would never have to talk to a man like that ever again, and that this Sorcerer would be far away to ever recount it. Her bitterness lessened, however, when she felt her toes tingle; then her leg; slowly she was getting back her sense. She took a step forward.

"NO!" he yelled; striking his arm through the air.

Misaki launched herself out of the way as the marble floor was torn apart; trailing to the exact spot she had been in standing in before; before it burst into flames. She rolled on the floor and regained her footing; sweeping up her sword from the floor. She turned just in time to see the white flames spreading; over towards the sorcerer; in the charred trail left by his magic. He stood still; watching the writhing flame in horror.

She took her chance as he was distracted; pouncing on him; using her weight to push him down. The sorcerer gave a cry; stumbled and landed on his back; with Misaki's sword at his throat.

"Move even a finger and this will go through your neck." she told him.

His gaze was dazed; as if he had lost bearings of all his surroundings. Misaki could hear the crackle of fire behind her; but there was hardly any heat. She wondered if it was just an illusion, or if it would be consuming her in a second. Pursing her lips she pressed her sword down; piercing his skin just a little. A trickle of blood slid over his pale throat. His eyes regained focus.

"What…!" he croaked; his eyes darting over Misaki's face.

"Good to have you back." she said, her gaze steely. "Now-are you going to tell me where my guards are or not?"

…


	9. Chapter 9

… _..She is a leader…_

"Now listen here," she said, waving a leather pouch in front of him, "If you help me find my guards and capture whoever is behind all of this, I shall return your rings."

Kanou looked up, his glasses glinting, his mouth twisted in dejection. He was not in a position to refuse her; tied up and powerless as he was, but Misaki had learned that people were more likely to honestly help her when they had something to gain too. Threats; after all, only worked so far.

He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

"Really…? Aren't you just going to throw me in the dungeons?"

Misaki put her hands on her hips. "Everything depends on how well you help me, Kanou."

"I'm dangerous when I have my rings, you know. Your King might not allow them to be given to me."

Misaki tilted her head too. "He might allow it if you prove yourself to be loyal to him."

His eyes flashed. "My only loyalty is to myself."

She regarded him coolly.

" _Well_ , then….I suppose I'll just have to throw this in the river…. _what_ a pity."

She pocketed the leather bag of rings and turned away, leaving the Sorcerer; tied up and hidden beside a statue for the guards to find when the crisis was over.

She had only walked a few steps when he called her back.

….

"Dame!" Shirokawa screamed when Misaki pulled off his gag. All around him, members of her royal guard were murmuring, shifting and wriggling about their positions; trying to get a good look at her. Misaki was just glad she had found them in one place. She did not want to admit it, but finally seeing her comrades had given her more confidence than she could credit them for.

"Dame! We were attacked! We rushed to engage immediately but there was only _one_ man! And he was...he was…." Shirokawa rambled, his brow dark and worried, his tied fists clenched.

"It's alright Shirokawa." Misaki told him, cutting off his bonds and moving to a pale faced Sarashina, his form fidgeting; only too eager to escape confinement. "I found the man."

A hush fell through the muttering crowd and dozens of pairs of eyes immediately fixed to her.

"Y-you did?" Shirokawa gasped. "And you're alive? Did you kill him Dame?"

Behind her, hidden in the shadows, she felt the Sorcerer wince.

"No." Misaki said simply, removing Kurosaki's bonds. The dark man's eyes were sober. "He is going to help us."

"After all he has done, I hope you are not thinking of sparing him, Dame." Shirokawa spoke, his tone dangerous.

Misaki closed her eyes and collected her thoughts. What she said now was of utmost importance. She needed her knights to be loyal to her.

"That depends." she muttered, catching his gaze. Then she stood up, addressing her small army of men that were rubbing their wrists and finding their swords.

"The crisis is not over, men." she announced, "We still have a lot of work to do, an entire palace to protect. Right now is the time for action and we are going to use whatever we can to win. Do you agree?"

One by one, they nodded.

"As expected from the best knights in Seika."

For once, Misaki meant a compliment she gave to a man. Or _men_.

She immediately saw them straighten up and puff out their chests. "The man that was responsible for your states was a Sorcerer. He has agreed to help us find the attacker for a price. To save the palace, we need to cooperate with him."

"We _could_ just torture him…..Dame…."

"That would take too much time."

"How about threatening him?"

"He might just give us false information and escape."

"Won't he do that _now_?!"

"No. He has much to lose if he did."

Misaki looked around to all of her soldiers, hands on her hips. She wondered how much time she had left. "We need to be quick, men. Do you have any more questions?"

There were some murmurs, but no one spoke up.

"Well then…..are you ready to live up to your vows and protect this castle?"

"Yes!" they roared, and Misaki felt her heart expand.

 _My men_ …

What a strange thought to be proud of.

Misaki slid out her sword and raised it, showing her gratitude for their speedy and loyal agreement. Then she held it down; nodding towards the shadows to her right.

"You may come out now Kanou."

The tall Sorcerer materialized, his hood pulled down, his gown in his fingers. The knights bristled, but they silently got to their feet, slipping on their weapons. Kanou pressed his hands to his back, as if keen to hide his hands that probably felt uncomfortably naked without his precious rings. Misaki felt a pang of pity; even if it were for only a second. She wondered what would happen if she were stripped of her weapons, unable to move even her hands or legs to fight. She repressed a shudder. He must feel quite helpless right now.

And that helplessness should make him more eager to get his rings back.

"Okay, Kanou." she said, turning to him. "Tell us everything. As quickly as you can."

The Sorcerer gulped, and Misaki thought that he might need a bit more prodding; but then he opened his mouth and spoke.

"I don't know the real name of whoever employed me, or have anything with me to incriminate them. I just know that they…..are ridiculously wealthy and they are brave enough to stage an attack on the King…"

"And obviously have connections enough to find traitorous scum like you…." Kurosaki commented. Kanou glared at him, his dark blue eyes flashing behind his glasses.

"Don't label me so quickly, when you don't know _anything_ about me…." he replied in a low tone; his voice, for once, sending shivers down Misaki's back. Kurosaki opened his mouth to reply, but Misaki stalled him with a motion of her hand.

Kanou cleared his throat.

"Well, that is all I know about my employer. What I do know, and I do think would be helpful would be if I told you our plans for tonight." He glanced at Misaki, meaningfully. "Would that be enough?"

She merely tilted her head.

"We shall discuss that _after_ the castle is safe and sound."

Kanou's shoulders deflated, but he continued.

"We were supposed to corner and kill the King, and get away as soon as possible." His upper lip curled up. "The only _actual_ threat to this plan was the Prince….and that was why I was employed in the first place."

The soldiers bristled again, obviously alarmed.

"The Prince..!" Shirokawa asked, "What did you do to the Prince?!"

"Let's just say he will not be coming around to aid you anytime soon." Kanou smirked. Misaki gave him a sharp glare, and he winced, looking down at his entwined hands. "I merely blocked the path to his chambers. I had heard that was where he would be, preparing for the ball."

And the information was right; even considering that the Prince might be tardy in his preparations because of lack of willingness. The person behind this was obviously very well informed about the affairs of the castle, even the personality of Prince Usui, who was almost always only discussed because of his beauty or his achievements.

"What if he is injured? We must go to him!"

Misaki looked up to the pained expressions on the knight's faces, and bit her lip. She could not tell them that the Prince was safe without explaining to them that she was with him at the time, dressed as a maid…..

 _Ugh…_

Also, it was better they thought that the King was still somewhere alone in the castle, hiding and waiting for rescuing. She doubted they would be so ready to put their lives on the line for a King who was happily reclining on sofas in a secret room; with the most dangerous man in the castle protecting him.

"I had heard the crash." she announced. "When I went to check, I called his name and tried to climb it or somehow break through…..It was impossible." she glanced at Kanou for this, her lips pursed. "I did not hear anything, so we must assume that the Prince is not there."

Kanou and the knights gasped, all looking different variations of flabbergasted.

Misaki bit her lip again.

"...Or…" Kurosaki said grimly, "...the reason he cannot answer is that...he is..."

There was a significant silence after he trailed off, and all the soldiers' stiffened. Misaki understood their emotions. The worse news for a loyal guard would be that she had failed in the very task that defined her. They believed that they had failed to protect the Prince, and it was true.

"Do not lose heart like this." Misaki was already speaking. She did not like seeing her men dejected. "We can only go and find out after the palace is free of its menace….which it is not."

Sarashina looked up and pointed to Kanou, who stood stock still, his face pale. Misaki wondered if he had ever considered the possibility that he might have killed the Prince before this moment.

"We have him! He was the menace!"

"He was not the only one." Misaki said. "You said ' _'our''_ plan, before. And you also said that you were only employed to obstruct the Prince. Who else is involved? And where are they?"

Kanou paled some more, twining and re-twining his fingers vigorously.

"There was….there is...just one more person." he said, haltingly, his gaze darting all over the room as if expecting someone to appear out of thin air.

"Where are they, Kanou?"

Overhead, they heard a blood-curdling scream.

…..


	10. Chapter 10

_She is unbreakable..._

Shirokawa came level to Misaki, slightly out of breath as they scaled the corridor leading to the main hallway staircase. She glanced at him; a multitude of important questions burning forth in her mind; but one shone brighter than the others.

"Where is Shintani?" she panted.

The blonde boy blinked once and then spoke; keeping his attention in front of him.

"I don't know Dame." he said grimly. "I did not see him in the confusion. He was supposed to be with the King when Prince Igarashi arrived…"

Misaki's heart thundered in her chest; another thing to make her uncontrollably anxious. The King was the one who was being targeted tonight; and whoever had come to murder him, would probably not care for murdering a few nameless guards.

"Prince Igarashi! Where is he?"

Shirokawa shook his head as they turned a corner and arrived at the main staircase of the palace. Its gold banisters glinted in the moonlight coming from the second-floor windows; its steps covered with a lush red carpet; undisturbed and creaseless, as if no one had ever set their foot on it. Misaki's brow furrowed.

It was too dark...

"We did not see him." Shirokawa was speaking. "We were standing right at our positions but..." he trailed off, shaking his head again.

"But what?" Misaki asked; distracted by the edge in his voice.

He shrugged. "I don't have the brains to actually figure out these things, Dame….but I really did not see _any_ of the guests arrive. There was no chariot for miles! Not even a footman with a letter!" He rubbed his face. "And when, one chariot finally appeared; that damned Sorcerer came on us before anyone could see its seal!"

"Hmph."

Misaki rubbed her chin, thoughtful. The King's ball was the grandest occasion of the year in Seika, and the nobles were not the kind to miss an opportunity to show off, or to get close to the King, or to whisper in his ear about the follies of their colleagues. They prided themselves in their importance in running the Kingdom. It was unnatural for them to be late, or to not attend at all. And the peasants? They would never let free and delicious food go to waste. Misaki knew _that_ feeling all too well.

And Prince Igarashi? Had something horrible befallen him too?

Misaki shuddered. What would happen if a foreign Prince was murdered in Seika?

"Dame! Watch out!"

Misaki looked up just in time to see the glint of silver in front of her before she ducked. The knife whizzed past her ear and embedded itself into the tapestry behind with a loud _'thunk'_. She was already drawing her sword out, as were her guards. She saw Kanou's hooded figure in the dim light, trying to hide himself in the shadows. Her attention was diverted back immediately when two more daggers flew their way to her, one glancing off her arm and one clanging with her sword.

She kept her arm raised and her eyes peeled for the next attack, even as they fell to the ground. Her attacker had missed three of their shots; but they might just be playing her, or luring her into putting her guard down. It was the oldest trick in the history of war, but most people still fell for it.

"Ugh!"

Misaki glanced away briefly as one of her guards went to his knees, clutching his side.

The distraction worked.

Another knife came through the air, sinking itself in Misaki's thigh. She clenched her teeth at the bout of pain that followed, willing her hand not to drop the sword. She limped around, using her good leg as leverage, turning in circles and keeping her eyes open.

"Don't get distracted." she hissed to her comrades, who had gone pale at the sight of her wound. Blood was trickling down her breeches, but it was not a lot. Misaki hoped the damage to her leg would not be in-reparable either. The longer the knife stayed inside, the more damage it could do. But she was in no position to yank it out and put a bandage just yet.

"Remember we are in the presence of killers. They will not think twice before sending a knife straight to your hearts."

This seemed to have the desired effect. The soldiers straightened, sinking back into their battle personas as certain death loomed in the shadows.

"Kanou." Misaki said, not looking at the trembling Sorcerer. "Who are they? How many? What must we do? You have to help us."

 _Don't think you will get your rings back any other way._ That was the unspoken threat lacing her words. Not that it meant anything. If Misaki was killed here, Kanou would be easily able to take the rings from her pocket and make away with his comrades, or just run undercover of the chaos. She would not be able to do anything. She just had to hope that Kanou would keep the deal he had made.

"Kanou!" she said firmly, when two more knives whizzed through the air, one barely missing Sarashina's head. His shadowed figure moved slightly, as if he had flinched.

"She is only one person." His voice was trembling. "But she is enough to kill an entire legion…..I-I don't know why she has been sparing you for so long…"

Cold sweat broke over Misaki's brow even while she willed herself not to be afraid. She had been right. This killer was only playing with them.

But she refused to be played with. She also refused to believe that they had no chance.

"Come out and fight us!" she called, straightening up, and lowering her sword. "If you can destroy entire legions, then why are you so scared of facing us guards?" She stepped closer to the grand staircase, nearer to where the knives had come from, her arms spread, leaving her vulnerable. Her leg protested, but Misaki kept moving. She gave a dry chuckle. "Or…Let us simply play fair. Why not come out of the shadows and battle me? Woman to woman..?"

Misaki paused, her eyes searching the shadows. They betrayed nothing.

She climbed the first step, not quite sure how she was going to drag herself up the entire way with an injured leg.

"Why are you being shy?" she asked, a bead of sweat dripping down her face. "It will be completely fair. My guards will not meddle until I have stopped breathing." She felt the figures behind her bristle, but thankfully no one said anything. "And you must be able to kill them all, or you would not have been chosen for this, would you? Now come."

Something in Misaki's authoritative voice must have worked, for quite suddenly, the shadows on the top-most stair parted and another hooded figure emerged. This one was much smaller than Kanou, however, with a dark black hood covering her small shoulders. Misaki could see nothing of which lied underneath it, not even sliver of her hair. She walked silently towards Misaki, stopping at the top stair.

Without looking back, Misaki curtly motioned for her guards to stay away.

"Nobody will interrupt us. Even If I am dying."

"But Dame-!"

"That is how it will be." Misaki said. She gave a smirk, heat and energy already rushing inside her body. "I promise you I will not die so easily."

She raised her foot on the next step.

The hooded assassin lunged, flying down to her like an arrow aimed. Misaki had been expecting her speed, but her heart still clenched in fear. Someone very rich and powerful had tried to murder the King, indeed. And they obviously did not expect a failure. She dodged out of the way and swung her sword, keeping her back to the smooth banisters. It was not good support, but it was all she had.

Swinging over her, the assassin flew over her head, letting three more daggers fly as she landed gracefully on the opposite stairway, much like a circus gymnast. Misaki fell to the floor as they whizzed over her, using her sword to pull herself back up. To an onlooker, the battle must look quite one-sided. She could not have matched this girl's speed in a normal fight, much less when she was injured.

But she had to.

She had to win.

Misaki dragged herself up the stairs, bracing herself to dodge the next attack. Then she glanced over and saw the girl running up the banisters, her footsteps so quick and soft that they were soundless. She reached the top and turned back, and Misaki saw the glimpse of glossy, pink hair. Then she disappeared down a corridor; gone as quietly as she had arrived.

Misaki did not stop, but kept herself moving up the staircase, her leg throbbing. It would have to wait just a little more….

"Go and find Shintani, immediately and secure the perimeter. I will be with you soon." She announced when she had finally reached the top, the cold moonlight bathing her hunched form. Her soldiers stared back at her; pale and worried. Misaki wanted to shake them even while white spots danced in her eyes.

"GO! Move!" she roared, hoping it was authority and not panic that laced her voice.

Whatever it must have been, they moved. It took only little to remind them of their routines as soldiers. Of the routines they had been learning for over a decade. Someday, they would not need this reminder, either, if they survived tonight. Misaki turned her back as soon as they did, limping over to the corridor in pursuit of the assassin.

…..


	11. Chapter 11

_She had weaknesses….._

It took her a few trembling seconds to remove the knife and staunch the bleeding with a torn piece from her tunic, but thankfully it was done, and done quickly. Misaki did not know what the assassin was planning; but she was quite ready for the worst and any amount of respite only made her nervous.

She examined the bloodied knife, looking for some engraving or seal that would point in the direction of whoever had started this. But, naturally, she found nothing. The knife was absolutely plain, something found in any blacksmiths' shop in any of the towns. Seeing it, Misaki only found her earlier suspicions harden that this powerful and rich someone had planned a very thorough job.

But who...? None of the noblemen and women she saw the entire year had the capabilities. They might dream of treason, or might even speak of it in hushed whispers, but to actually concoct an intelligent attack? They were not capable of that. Then had the King offended the commoners? If then, why should Misaki even be risking her life to fight them? Were not the commoners always right? Did they not have the right to evict their King if they were not satisfied with him?

 _But_ this _is not right._ Something spoke in Misaki's mind.

 _It is too crude. Too indirect._

Whoever sought to murder the King in his palace was not looking for justice. They were simply looking for murder.

They simply wanted the King out of their way.

 _And senseless murder was not right._

 _Even Kings deserve a trial._

Misaki lightly touched her bandage, gingerly getting back on her feet. The knife was held in her hand, and she intended to use it when she found the assassin again.

"Can I have it back?"

Misaki jumped, her sword reflexively swinging in the air around her. Pain flashed through her leg at the sudden movement; but she kept herself steady, keeping her back to the wall. This corridor was dominated by darkness too and it did not help her situation. As before, she could not pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Misaki wondered if all the lamps had been put out on purpose. She slipped the knife in her free hand, twirling it.

"Is this _that_ precious to you?"

"It costs money. And I would not like to waste it."

"I'm sure you were paid enough for tonight to acquire much better knives."

There was a moment of silence.

"May I still have it back?"

The assassin's voice was soft on Misaki's ears. She spoke politely, as if some maid would to her mistress, not what one would expect from someone about to pierce her with knives.

"Sure." Misaki said, tossing the knife in her hand, so its blade was in her fingers. "After you come into the light."

A deep silence succeeded her words and Misaki knew that she had said the right thing. Now it was only the matter of whether her challenge would work in her favor or not. She pressed against the wall, her senses peeled for an attack, her leg throbbing, her brow sweating; when the assassin stepped out.

The first thing Misaki looked at was her hands, hanging limply by the girl's sides and completely hidden by her large, open sleeves. But Misaki was sure that they would be holding knives, ready to let them fly in a split moment. Half of her face was hidden in her hood, and all Misaki could discern was a perfect, smooth chin and full, pink lips.

 _Pretty…_

Misaki tossed the knife towards her, and the assassin caught it; with barely a flick of her wrist. Her robes moved, and Misaki caught sight of pink, slender fingers until they disappeared again.

 _How can an assassin have such unmarked skin?_

"Why aren't you attacking me?" she suddenly asked. The girl twitched suddenly, as if Misaki's voice had broken some kind of stupor.

"...You said we were going to have a fair fight." She tilted her hooded-head to Misaki's bleeding leg. "But…."

Misaki gave a slight shrug, not taking her eyes off her.

"I can't do anything about it right now."

The girl twitched again, and her sleeve pulled back, revealing her long fingers, several knives tucked in between, shimmering in the moonlight.

"I could injure myself….plunge these in both of my legs." she said, her tone completely level. "..But I am afraid it still won't make things fair between us."

A shiver ran down Misaki's spine at her words. At once, she knew that what the assassin said was true.

Sweat dropped off her eyebrow and railed down her cheek. She gave a wry chuckle.

"It would seem so….but I suppose I wasn't being that literal before."

"You just wanted to save your soldiers."

"Yes."

The girl looked up, and Misaki saw the glint of her eyes in the darkness.

"I would just kill you and then go on to them."

"I know." Misaki replied immediately. "The idea is for me to do as much damage as I can."

There was silence. The girl seemed to be contemplating something as she looked at Misaki.

"You can simply tell me where the King is." she intoned. "I shall do my job and leave all of you be. I do not _have_ to kill any of you."

Misaki's fingers were itching at her sword handle. How much time had passed? Was the hour over? Was the Prince coming to help? Or was he just smirking at the King, telling him he had known Misaki was hopeless? Was the King disappointed? Did he even care?

She smiled.

"That is a beautiful suggestion. However it is _my_ job to protect the King and this palace. I am not going to give up, as you are not."

The girl nodded, her lips pursing in something like disappointment.

Misaki widened her stance, raising her sword with both hands, as the assassin jumped.

She dodged the first volley of knives, twisting on her good leg and slashing upwards at her attacker. The girl flipped in mid-air, pivoting on the wall above Misaki and pushing farther back, out of reach. Both of them stopped only for a moment, before plunging into action again. The assassin flew around her, her feet barely ever touching the ground, showering Misaki with knives from every side.

Misaki parried and slashed as best as she could, but her leg made movement difficult, and one by one, knives began to bury themselves in her. One found her upper arm, and she switched her sword hand, still battling on, then another blade cut at her temple, her cheek, then her thigh. She dropped to the ground when a knife landed in her calf. Blood pooled around her, but somehow she kept her sword aloft.

 _This is it, then….._

She tried to push up again, even as she felt the assassin land next to her, only the slow shift of her robe giving away her presence. Maybe she liked to kill her victims slowly. Or maybe she intended to torture information out of Misaki. She clamped her mouth shut. Nobody was getting anything out of her.

The sword trembled in Misaki's hand, unable to take her weight. Her teeth were clenched tightly; she did not intend to make any noise. She was in pain. But this was the pain she had chosen for herself. And she had failed to accomplish anything for it. Her soldiers would just die later than sooner.

The shadow of the assassin met hers and the black hem of her robes came into view. Misaki wondered, if she could just not make an effort one….last...time…..

She was just adjusting her grip on her sword for a final swing, when a horrible shout echoed in the corridor.

Misaki felt the body of the assassin twist above her, and the sickening sound of a blade plunging itself into flesh. Her body froze in wide-eyed shock when the black hem turned scarlet with blood. Not _her_ blood.

The assassin fell, knees buckling and twisting. Something inexplicable gave Misaki the strength she needed to turn her head and look at the body, pale and limp, with a broad-sword sticking through one shoulder, slick with blood. The assassin's hood had fallen off, and Misaki noticed pink, glossy hair, tumbling down narrow shoulders, and a golden charm swinging off her neck. There was no telling whether she was dead or alive.

"Misa-chan!" a familiar voice was calling her.

Misaki barely had time to turn towards the source of the voice, before she was falling herself, her sword clattering out of her grip. All she was able to glimpse was a tall figure with dark hair and blood-stained hands; catching her in his arms; before her vision started to dim.

"Misa-chan…!" The voice yelled hoarsely in her ear, cradling her gently in his arms. Misaki did not remember the last time someone had held her. She avoided it, because the immense comfort was something she was too terrified to accept. But it had certainly been a long night. Maybe if she went unconscious for just a little while….

"She was the last one. It is over. You can relax now…"

 _Oh right…._

 _It was all over…_

Her breath came in short pants, as if every movement was a strain on her lungs. But slowly, in the comfort of her friend's arms, Misaki recovered herself. Despite everything, she did not let her hold collapse, keeping herself just at the edge of the beguiling darkness. Her eyes flitted to the robed girl with pink hair lying in front of her, and discerned the slight rise and fall of her chest. Still breathing. Still alive.

"Shintani." she said, her voice weaker than she would have wanted; and pushed herself up. The movement sent her mind in a whirl, and she willed herself not to pass out. She slipped to her knees, her bloodied fingers reaching out to her sword. "Take the girl to the physician. Tell Satsuki-san to spare no effort in reviving her. It is essential she does not die." she looked up at him, hoping her face did not betray how she was on the brink of crumpling.

"Do you understand?"

A wave of confusion and panic passed in her friend's light-brown eyes, and Misaki despaired. She did not have the strength to argue with him. Then his face turned grim, taking on the soldier facade, and he stood up. He nodded to her once, and helped her on her feet. Normally, Misaki would have despised taking any help, but this time she accepted it without comment.

"I'll be with you soon." she told him, repeating the words she had only said moments before to the others.

Shintani gave her one last grim glance, his mouth taut as if he were steeling himself. Misaki held his gaze, blood dripping down all over her, seeping in her clothes, her hair wild and matted; but her gaze was the same. _Strong_ , _willful_ , _commanding_. It was not something most people could refute. The boy turned and bundled the assassin in his arms, rushing to the corridor opposite.

 _Now then…..what is the time?_

Misaki waited only a few seconds before she turned away, limping over the usually sparkling white marble floor. Every step brought excruciating pain, but she told herself it would soon be over.

The palace had been saved.

But she had one last thing to do.

….

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **YAYAAYAYAAY**_


	12. Chapter 12

… _..But she learns and overcomes them._

"It was horrible...a horrible night for all of us…" The young Prince preened, leaning forward, and acting every bit the part of a scared young boy away from home.

What a bloody great actor.

"I would have come sooner…." he said, shifting in his seat and looking directly at Gerard. "I wanted to bring help! But the situation was so unclear...and I apologize, but I simply could not leave my sister alone in such a dangerous situation…."

"It is quite alright, Igarashi. It is past us now." Gerard finally said, and Usui mentally sighed in relief. Any more of Igarashi's pathetic excuses and he would have thrown a steaming teapot in his face. He noticed a ghost of a smile pass the foreign Prince's lips, before resolving itself into a somber line. Usui could not believe how he was able to fool anyone.

The truth unfortunately being; a lot of people.

He could already feel the attendants around them snatching wistful glances of the foreign Prince, clearly happy to have another handsome face added to their midst. Usui ignored the considerable amount of stares he himself was getting, keeping a bored expression.

He would, naturally, rather be prowling inside the stables than sharing the same table as Igarashi Tora, or any of the esteemed nobles of Seika; but today he had some pressing matters to attend to.

Igarashi leaned forward, clasping his hands under his chin. He was never stiff, always having a fluid, yet royal air about him, which made him seem approachable, but also different and _better_. Usui had seen him otherwise too of course. The man was able to change personalities at his whim.

"I learned that the aggressors were captured." he began. Good. He was finally getting to the point.

Gerard gave a slight nod. He was sitting regally enough, but Usui could see the flecks of boredom in his dark eyes, and the downturn of his mouth. He was already bored of this interview. In some aspects, the two half-brothers were quite alike.

"One of them is recovering in the infirmary." Gerard continued, eyes fixed on the brown liquid in his teacup. "The other" he sighed, "…..we believe he might have escaped."

Igarashi twitched slightly. "I had heard there was a sorcerer present...so he managed to get past all your royal guards?"

Usui noticed someone else fidget in the corner of his vision, and turned to gaze at the rigid figure of the Dame, white bandages visible from beneath her prim uniform, a wooden cane resting between her legs. Her fingers tapped its curved head under the table, though there was no sign of agitation on her face.

He tried not to chuckle.

Gerard leaned forward and steepled his fingers together; his brows furrowing in a rather good attempt at faking distress.

"Indeed. He _was_ a sorcerer, after all. My guards thought they had properly disabled him…..but he managed to distract them. Inefficiency is to blame of course. And we will not rest until this mistake is rectified."

Igarashi pursed his lips, apparently choosing his next words carefully.

"I see." he finally said, although his eyes told everyone that he did not believe a word of the story.

Usui hid his smirk behind his cup of tea. The look of helplessness on the Prince's face was almost enough reason for him to mind his manners in this meeting.

"Regardless. I am grateful that you are unharmed, Gerard."

The King's mouth quirked upward.

"Indeed. So am I."

"Your castle guard must be well-trained indeed to have thwarted such a powerful attack." Igarashi continued, leaning back and gazing at Gerard. His eyes had never left him the entire meeting.

"Indeed." Gerard intoned, without looking up from his tea. Usui resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Their bravery and loyalty is something that will always be remembered in the history of Seika." He suddenly turned towards the Dame, motioning to her. "Why, here is the Captain of the Royal guard herself! She was the one who lead the rescue mission."

The Dame straightened in her seat only a little bit as Igarashi looked at her for the first time; his brow quirked up; a flash of shock on his face before he covered it with a mask of admiration.

"Truly?" he said. "I did not know one person could have as much talent in them as they have beauty."

Usui wanted to gag.

He grimly saw the Dame's eyes widen with shock, and a pretty blush appear on her cheeks. Clearly, she had not been expecting the Prince to say exactly the right thing. Clearly, Igarashi knew that.

 _Please don't make a fool of yourself over him..._

She regained her composure quickly enough, which Usui reluctantly gave her credit for, and replied in a professional tone. Usui felt some of his hope for her return.

 _Good...Don't get distracted by his looks…_

"I simply did my duty, Your Highness. I have sworn myself to protect the throne, and I shall not waste any efforts in doing that, even if it costs me my life."

 _Please value your life more than_ that _..._ Usui badly wanted to say. But he had a feeling she would not understand.

Igarashi gave her a gracious smile, his eyes twinkling with admiration. It seemed impossible, but the Dame straightened her posture even more, her fingers still on the cane's head.

"So?" Igarashi finally continued, turning his attention back on Gerard, who seemed to have gone to sleep with his eyes open. Usui kicked his brother underneath the table, startling the Dame. He needed this tea to end already.

 _And he has the audacity to tell me to take an interest in ruling the country..._

Gerard blinked once, the only indication of pain or shock. Igarashi continued on, not noticing the exchange.

"Is the ball still under way?" he asked, for the first time with genuine interest. "It is merely a suggestion, but it might be the best way to distract the people from yesterday's unfortunate events." He smiled. "And they would love to see their King whole and healthy for themselves."

Usui saw Gerard, sit up and clap his hands, for once, too, showing genuine interest.

"Of course! A celebration is in order! We will also do an honorary tribute to the valorous castle guard. How about it, Ayuzawa?"

The Dame pressed her lips together, obviously not expecting to be called upon for her thoughts. Usui was quite certain she was going to give a non-committal reply, or perhaps some discouragement, but she suddenly gave a nod, her fingers curling over her cane.

"I believe it will definitely raise the spirits of my men, Your Majesty. They do not complain, as they shouldn't…..but they have toiled much and Your Majesty's regard would be the greatest reward."

Usui glanced sideways at her. He was sure he had not heard the Dame's tone be so genuinely full of adoration before. He wondered if the single hour she had spent after parting from him had changed her that much. Or perhaps she was just unpredictable. The image of her leaning against one of the secret doorways flashed through his mind. Moonlight had framed her silhouette, and at first he had not noticed the blood dripping from her body, or the very dark and very disturbing trail behind her.

She had seen him approach, and looked him right in the eyes, a feat that had shocked him as much as her wounds.

" _I'm back, Your Highness."_

And then she had collapsed in his arms.

"…most of the arrangements had already been made. So it will be possible for it to be held by tomorrow night."

Gerard clapped his hands again, before standing up from the table. Usui sighed in relief. Finally.

"If you will excuse me, Igarashi. I have a meeting with the Lords and I'm afraid they will not wait any further before storming this very room." Igarashi snorted, but did not comment at what he thought was Gerard's lack of authority as King. Usui smiled too. If Igarashi thought Gerard did not command respect, he was as foolish as the rest.

"Takumi will keep you company, won't you Takumi?" Gerard waved to him and Usui leaned forward.

"Of course." he said; a light smile on his face. As far as donning masks went, Usui could play the game better than anyone. "I have been wanting to talk to you for a long while, Igarashi."

…

"Is that an accusation, _Takumi_?"

The young Prince tilted his head to the side, arms crossed at his chest. He seemed, at most, only slightly amused. Usui smiled. There were very, _very_ few things he admired about Igarashi Tora, but his ability to remain amused in the face of doom was definitely one of them.

"Accusations are false, _Tora_." he replied, noting the use of his first name. "What _I_ have, however, is anything but."

"What _do_ you have?" he muttered, his gaze turning intense for a second. Then he scoffed, waving a hand in the air. "If this is your idea of a _jest_ , Takumi…"

"I do not jest." Usui bit out. "Not with you."

"Huh…" Igarashi gave him a smile. "Alright then. Please do tell me how you intend to ''prove'' my guilt in this matter? Where none exists?"

Usui gave him a slight smile, unhurried to comply with the foreign Highness' wishes. Warm sunlight from the large windows touched his face, which along with the immense satisfaction of toying with Igarashi Tora; had given him a very good mood indeed. They were in a quite corridor of the palace, a place Usui knew was mostly free from the omnipresent servants and guards. He did not wish to make this information public.

Yet.

He slipped a folded piece of parchment from his coat, waving it in the air. He saw Igarashi's brow furrow only a little bit.

"What is your family's insignia, Tora?"

"Huh?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow. He was growing less amused by the second. Good.

"It's a serene black and white tiger." he muttered. "As you already _know_. It's on my-"

"-carriage." Usui cut him off, flipping the letter open. "Interesting that you chose to phrase it that way."

He flipped open the parchment, revealing writing on both sides. One side was fully covered in scrawls written with darker ink, while the other had two sentences worth of words in elegant handwriting.

" _ **When you are done, jump in the carriage with the serene black and white tiger. Not a moment before**_." He recited from the paper, as Igarashi shed all pretense of calm.

"Quite harsh and to-the-point…." Usui commented, slowly folding the parchment back. "I wonder what this hidden memo, found about yesterday morning, and obviously giving orders to _someone_ ; someone obviously in need of a quick get-away…..was entailing to."

Igarashi crossed his arms again, looking away.

"So what if it mentions my carriage? I have many carriages. All adorned with the insignia. Someone might have stolen-"

"-Ah! But the interesting part is…. _Tora…._ " Usui interrupted again, a grin on his face. "The only carriage to be found near the gates last night….near the end of the attack if you mind, for one would presume the attackers had planned how long it would take…..and _that_ had been the one carrying you."

There was a long pause. To Igarashi's credit, he did not fidget even once.

"What do you want, Usui?" he finally said, his tone dark.

"Oh, a lot of things!" Usui sang, wanting to enjoy himself as much as he could. Knowing the foreign Prince, he would not allow himself be in a similar situation again. He turned, eyeing him with disdain.

" _None_ of which you can give."

Igarashi's eyes narrowed.

"You cannot be hoping to start a war with Miyabigaoka." he muttered, the corner of his mouth tilting up.

Usui sighed.

"Yes, unfortunately, my brother would rather not risk so many lives just for you and your insignificant attempts at ending him."

A grim smile came on Igarashi's face.

"He was never in any real danger, _was_ he? And the sorcerer…." he tilted his head. "He didn't just '' _escape''_ did he?"

Usui only smiled, his eyes glittering.

"Back to the point, Usui. What, exactly, are you trying to tell me, from this conversation?"

Usui turned his head away, gaze moving to the lush garden beyond the windows. He wanted to go to sleep right here, with the warmth on his face.

"This is just a warning." he murmured, his lips barely touching the glass. "I want you to remember the evidence I have, and remember it well. For example…" he glanced at Tora, who turned his nose at him. He smirked. "….the assassin is in our infirmary, recovering from her wounds this very moment. Everyone here at this palace wants her back in full health and full freedom….and none of us would want anything to _hinder_ that…."

Igarashi chuckled, though Igarashi saw the fury in his golden eyes as clear as the sky outside.

"I'll have other requests too….I shall relay them to you as they come...Your Highness."

The foreign Prince gave the barest of nods. But it was enough.

"Is that all, _Your Highness_?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Usui smiled at him.

"You wound me _Tora_." he said. "I thought we were supposed to be childhood friends!"

"Oh don't worry, Takumi." he said before turning away. "I'll come back to play very soon."

Usui watched him as he disappeared round the corridor, staring at the corner well after the sound of his footsteps had ceased.

He shifted on his perch against the window, putting his back against the glass and crossing his arms.

"I did not know eavesdropping was another one of your charming qualities, Dame."

A startled gasp was followed by the rattle of metal as a suit of armor crashed in front of him, and Dame Ayuzawa Misaki emerged from a previously hidden alcove in the corridor. Usui tried not to grin.

"You're a rather fast learner." he commented as she tried to put the fallen decoration to rights. Her injuries did not make the feat easy, and Usui made his way to assist her.

She flushed when he settled it back in one flourish, her amber eyes moving away from him in slight resentment. She was not happy at being helped.

"It was not that hard." she muttered. "The passages only _look_ random at first…."

She should not be mumbling when talking to royalty, but Usui did not point that out.

"Oh? So you've been prowling the secret passages since you woke up?"

His brow furrowed with concern; then with confusion. Why did _he_ care?

She pouted, still not meeting his eyes.

"I was getting restless in bed. Also, my injuries are fine."

Usui raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at her cane, which was supporting most of her weight.

"Indeed. You seem as good as new, Dame." He leaned back, appraising her. "Almost as good as the time you dressed as a maid-"

"-PLEASE _don't talk about that_!" she hissed at him, eyes darting around, worried that someone would hear. Then she met his eyes and stilled, her cheeks flushing.

"Please excuse me for my insolence…." she bowed awkwardly, her silky raven hair falling over her head like an exquisite waterfall.

 _Hmmm.…_

"OH? I am quite surprised, Ayuzawa. I didn't think you would be apologizing any soon, now with infiltrating my chambers as a sham maid-"

"-I did _not infiltrate-_ "

"-interrupting me….shouting at me….then challenging me...then _demanding_ I show you the secret passages...then appearing all bloody and leaving me to carry you all the way to the infirmary….and then _eavesdropping…."_

Usui kept his eyes comically wide as he held up his fingers in front of him. The Dame stood with her head bowed, cringing and flushing bright red.

"…I had honestly lost hope that you would ever stop."

"I'm really ashamed and sorry, Your Highness…" she said, definitely looking embarrassed. "If you would forgive me, I vow to never-"

"-Now, now….Let us not make vows I do not want you to keep, Ayuzawa." The Dame's eyes flicked up to him, confusion imminent in her eyes. He gave her a light smile. " _Forgiveness_ , however, can be negotiated."

She stood up straight now, eyebrow raised and eyes shining with the prospect of setting things right. Normally, Usui would sense ulterior motives behind that hopefulness; that included wanting to get close to him, earning his trust, or (he hated this one the most) to corner him in some shadowy alcove of the palace. He repulsed and destroyed all such hope without a second thought. But the Dame's eyes were different, they were _innocent_ , even; and Usui found himself deciding that he would never let anything happen to the light in them.

"Negotiation? With _me_? How so, Your Highness?"

Usui slid his hands in his coat pockets, leaning towards her. She did not pull back or blush; rather faced him head-on.

"As you know, the ball that I almost escaped is being held again in a day's time...and my idiot brother insists that I waste my evening in it." Her chin tilted up in interest, and Usui had to resist the sudden urge to hold it and kiss her.

He pulled back, feeling slightly warm.

"I thought hard, and I have decided that I might be made to humor my brother, if." he turned back to her, his composure back in place. "I got to enjoy your company during it."

The Dame blinked twice, her brow furrowing. Not quite the reaction he was expecting…

"But, Your Highness. I shall be on duty-"

"-You must actually not be thinking of fighting anyone in your present condition, Ayuzawa?"

She looked up sharply, and Usui almost took a step back. There was heat in her eyes that seemed quite inappropriate against his concern for her health.

"I will not be pushing myself, Your Highness…" she said slowly, but her anger was apparent. "Please do not worry yourself over me."

Silence descended over them, as if their surroundings were holding their breath. Usui looked away, straightening his cravat. He had always found himself less egotistic than his fellow noblemen, but the Dame's reaction had caused a very unpleasant feeling in his chest.

He opened his mouth to excuse himself; he needed to go somewhere else where he could sort out these wayward feelings.

"But…" he turned his gaze back to her, surprised to find her staring down; an obvious show of submissiveness.

 _No…_

 _...it's her manner of apologizing..._

"If it would be alright with His Highness to accompany a girl in uniform...I-I" he face flushed again as she forced herself to speak the next words. "I shall do my best to honor my side of the bargain…"

"I have many things…I have to apologize for…..and also to thank you…for…a lot of things."

She looked directly at him then, eyes burning with determination, even while her face shone bright red.

Usui felt his cheeks burn.

He had meant to ask her as a joke…or as a test to find out more about her. He was definitely not interested. He was _never_ interested. But now he wondered if he had just been lying to himself.

…..

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **YAY FINALE! YAY USUI POV!**_

 _ **THANKYOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING THIS FIC!**_

 _ **RxR!**_


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